A cold wind blows as a couple of hundred punters line up outside Musikcaféen in the centre of Aarhus. Some won’t make it inside – there’s only room for around 200 in there and more have showed up to see how HateSphere’s new line-up will perform. The cold outside is a stark contrast to the hot, crammed inside of the venue. And the heat will rise considerably during the evening, it turns out.

Like HateSphere, Mevadio hail from the Aarhus area. Their second CD, ‘Fresh Kill Daily’ is due out in the stores in a week’s time, and the band is more than eager to air the fine tunes from said album.

The band seems confident in the new material as they decide to play seven or eight songs from the new album and nothing from their debut. It is a confidence they should have, because the songs work really well live and cause appreciative nods in the crammed Musikcafé.

I had my doubts whether the more alternative things vocalist Kruger and bassist Michael do on the album would work out live, but they do, and all is well.

Although Mevadio have their own style, they also use tried and grateful recipes that involve bouncy, danceable grooves. It is a good mix and the set flies by. Nice one!

Mevadio: 79/100

If some HateSphere fans were worried when the major part of the crew, including Jacob Bredahl, left the building I can’t blame them. I did too. But guitarist Peter ‘Pepe’ Lyse Hansen is not one to give up and tonight is a watertight proof that HateSpere is still very much alive and kicking.

Bredahl’s replacement, the 19-year-old Joller, is perhaps smaller in stature than his predecessor but his energy level is irrefutable and he handles the vocals in a slightly more brutal fashion than Jacob did. His enthusiasm is likewise great and he doesn’t allow himself to be overwhelmed by the Aarhus fans who constantly swarm the stage.

Due to the fact that this is a tiny place with a non-existing security, people are all over the place. Cool to see how HateSphere throw punches like ‘A Beer With the King of the Dead’, ‘Lies and Deceit’, ‘Murderous Intent’, ‘Forever War’, ‘500 Dead People’ and ‘Only the Strongest’ in this chaos of bodies and banging heads and thus assure the fans that the original line-up may be gone – but another line-up lives and is ready to kick arse on the forthcoming tour with Dismember. The dripping sweat from the ceiling this evening proves it, methinks!

HateSphere: 90/100

Attending: Thomas

Images from the crime scene...

Kruger from Mevadio

Ivan from Mevadio

Thomas from Mevadio

Michael from Mevadio

Kruger again

New Kid on the Block: Joller from HateSphere

Guitarist Jakob from HateSphere (also active in Koldborn and formerly of death metal combo Dawn of Demise)